I was filled with so much anticipation that I had trouble sleeping after my exciting evening with N___. Was he really going to contact me? Were we really going to meet up? Or was that all just friendly, but forgettable, drunken-talk? We had tentatively decided on meeting up around 10:00 or 11:00, which was still hours away, so to pass the time I ran through an itinerary of what I would show him and where I would take him should he actually contact me and still wanted to me to guide him around the city.
Once I saw first light, I finally decided to get up, and get on with my day . I made a French Press full of dark Italian-roast coffee and as it brewed, tried to figure out what to wear; should I don my Sunday's Best, should I get dolled-up and showcase my softer side, or should I play it cool and just wear something casual? I opted for the later, wearing a slim, fitted pair of jeans that some would say have the appearance of being "professionally distressed," but in actuality were just authentically beginning to show their age, I chose to pair them with a simple, white V-neck tee-shirt screen-printed with one word in red: ADO(RED).
Apparently I wasn't the only one making decisions on what to wear. He did contact me and expressed his interests in exploring the city with me and we agreed to rendezvous at the base of the Space Needle in an hour. Not long after I received a text that said: "So I'm walking over now. I put on a special shirt for you." Needless to say, I couldn't stop smiling after reading that.
On my way to Seattle Center, I was surrounded by throngs of runners wearing white, but splattered with various colors of paint and tempura powder. It was if a marathon ran smack through a springtime Hindu Holi festival, where everyone throws brightly colored, scented powders and perfumes at one another. Two things immediately ran through my head, 1) Oh no! I hope my white tee shirt doesn't get messed up before we meet! 2) All these people will be hungry, roaming the immediate neighborhood and looking for a place to brunch, we have to get out of Uptown!
I knew N___ was staying on Queen Anne and would be coming from the north, so I wandered over to the north side of the Space Needle and placed myself upon a prominent bench, where it would be near impossible to miss me. It was not long after that I spotted him, in a sea of white clad runners, he had a bright red tee-shirt on and as he approached I saw that it had the logo of the company he works for emblazoned in light blue on the front of it (N___ works for an online dating website that I have been an avid fan of for years.)
After exchange 'hellos,' I gave him the option of checking out the Seattle Center grounds or avoiding the messy crowds by escaping via the Monorail into the heart of Downtown, he opted for the later much to my relief. We jumped aboard the charming, streamlined, mid-century relic and whisked our way past vast parking lots, towering construction cranes, quaint brick apartments (including my Midtown flat,) hotels--great and small, office towers of various ages and terminated our ride between a neo-classical department store and a post-modern shopping mall.
From the loading bay, before we descended our way down to the street level, I took advantage of our height to point out a few architectural features of some of the surrounding terracotta-clad buildings. From the street we ventured up Upper Fifth and I relayed to him the history of our local department stories; pointed out the former Diamond District; touched upon the numerous resources and industries other than timber that kick-started our economy in its infancy; the origin of some of our city's street names; I showed him how ambitious early Seattleites were, eager to establish legitimacy amongst the bigger cities of the day, how that spirit fostered a city that grew swiftly and steadily through the years, and how that translated into our city's architecture; the rise and fall of various locally-grown commercial enterprises; and pointed out oft unnoticed public works of art all "hidden" in plain view: a clock reminiscent of an old nursery rhyme, a planted urn adorned with assorted animal heads that could also be found gracing various buildings throughout the city, a hatch-cover that doubled as a map of the city itself.
Our eyes gradually ceased to guide us through the city and eventually our appetites took the reigns and we found ourselves in the Four Season's Hotel at Fonté Café and Wine Bar, where a few friends of mine just happen to work.
"Oh Pumpkin'!" I was greeted with a kiss and a hug by my friend L_____, followed by a high-five by my other friend C______.
Upon taking our seats, I swiftly ordered a glass of sparkling rosé, while N___ indulged in his very first French Press experience, selecting a medium-bodied Brazilian roast. Fonté's brunch offerings are quite vast and it took us a bit longer to decided upon what he wished to break our fast with. I ended up keeping it simple, ordering a trio of sunny-side-up eggs, toast, friend potatoes, bacon and a side of fruit; N___ had one of the featured specialty omelets of the day.
It didn't take long for L_____ to notice the logo on N___'s shirt and who he works for and before we knew it, L_____ was offering her views on N___ company and the specific product he works on. We all got caught up in critiquing the product, but L_____ wasn't able to chat as in-depth as she would have liked, since she was after all at work, and offered that we all meet up later in the week to continue our conversation. Contact info was then exchanged and tentative dates set, afterwhich another glass of rosé accompanied by a mimosa seemed to magically appear at our table.
"Happy Mother's Day, Tino," N___ winked at me, before taking care of our tab.
After brunch we jaunted across the street and entered the Seattle Art Museum, where I am a member and was able to get N___ in on one of my guest passes. We spent several hours wandering the few floors of galleries that are so familiar to me, and along our way ended up making some friends.
"Oh my God! I love your shirt! Where did you get it?!" a passer-by asked N___.
"I work for _______," N___ replied.
"Oh my God! That's awesome! I love _______! That's how the two of us met!" The passer-by exclaimed while gesturing to his fiancée. It turns out the techie couple were visiting from the Twin Cities and had just arrived to the Emerald City a few hours prior.
They were very enthusiastic about relaying all of their assorted, (on on occasion, sordid,) experiences from using _______, so loud was their enthusiasm, that a security guard ushered us into a children's play room to continue our conversation.
They were just as eager to discuss where they should go while they were here in the Emerald City, most especially where to dine and drink, and as you can imagine I had much to say about that, so much so that time ran away from us and we were a bit late to our next engagement.
After realizing what time it was, we abruptly said '
Adieu,' and took our leave, and then scampered through Pike Place Market and went to visit a friend of mine at the Pike and Western Wine Shop to pick up a few bottles of bubbles for the barbecue that was just now getting under way.
The barbecue wasn't too far away, at a historic loft in Pioneer Square, but we were a bit pressed for time, as N___ was to meet some friends for happy hour in under two hours, so I hailed a cab and just past the iconic Pergola jumped out and then buzzed in into a 5-story, Victorian-esque brick building that hails from 1891 and built by two of the Emerald City's founders.
The in-city home of my charming friends, L___, who is a general manager of a local outfit for a British High Street retailer and her beau, B___, who is one of my absolute favourite bartenders in town and also has various artistic abilities beyond crafting cocktails, completely reflects their eclectic and absolutely adorable personalities. Their space with oversized windows that looked out onto the tree-lined avenue had a lofted ceiling, exposed brick walls and heavy timbers and was so stylishly adorned, I felt as if we were in the midst of a
Wallpaper* magazine photo shoot, everything was so perfectly placed, yet there was a complete air of authenticity to it all. This beautiful and artful space was not on show, this was just how they live, this was their home, and we were their guests.
After a round of drinks and some prepping in the kitchen, (the homemade guacamole was incredible!) we ascended up to the building's rooftop where we were met with a panoramic view of Elliot Bay, the ferry terminal and the Olympic mountains beyond. In the other direction we could see the iconic Smith Tower, upon spotting it gave a little background on the building and its history. We chatted with the other guests, more techies as it so happened, and again time got away from us and we were late for our next engagement.
We, somewhat reluctantly, made our farewells and then hopped a bus back to the retail core, upon which we transferred to a streetcar to the newly developed Allentown, err, I mean, South Lake Union neighborhood, where we met N___'s long time friend from childhood, K____ and a fellow Yogi friend of hers (it just so happens that I happen to know a teacher who leads classes at one of their yoga studios,) who was just on her way out. We were, afterall, nearly an hour late.
Je suis desolé!
I had another glass of champagne and a pulled pork sandwich to go along with it. N___ had a sampler of oysters and a pint of beer to wash them down with. We relayed our adventures for the day to K_____ and all that we had seen, and tasted, and with K_____ being in the industry we naturally continued discussing where we enjoy dining and drinking and it was only a matter of time until I invited them to dinner at one of my spots in the Pike Place Market. Turns out K_____ used to work there.
From South Lake Union, and having just come from Pioneer Square, it seemed like quite a trek to work our way back to the market, so instead we decided to forage at the local upscale grocer and make dinner at K_____'s place. We came up with an artisan loaf, a fresh line-caught King Salmon, some spring spinach, ripe eggplant and a bounty of local mushrooms: chanterelle, oyster and enoki, and to polish it all off, a stunning bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, 2008 of course.
Hey, it's not everyday you get to entertain a New Yorker.
We made our way to a cute, old brick apartment mid-slope on Queen Anne, with original hardwood floors and beautiful mahogany woodwork throughout. Her place was unapologetically furnished, everything in her possession had a purpose, that is not to say her home was lacking in character in any way. K_____'s home, was as straightforward and as attractive, as her alluring and confident self. Instantly upon entering, she embraced us into her home and then began attending to dinner with equal parts aplomb and deftness. As her wok emitted sizzles from the stovetop, and the smell of salmon arose from the oven, the sounds of French melodies serenaded us from her well-loved record player. The setting for our impromptu dinner made me feel as if I were living out a scene from Woody Allen's
Midnight in Paris, with everything imbued with a comforting glow.
With how effortless it took her to make dinner, the results were, by far, extraordinary. We enjoyed our dinner at an unhurried pace and savored the phenomenal wine that went with it. We talked, and talked, and talked, and laughed, and talked and talked, way past twilight and eventually I had to take my leave. N___
offered to walk me out and went with me out to the street. As we said our goodbyes, he mentioned he might check out the popular viewpoint at the crest of the hill and take some photos of the cityscape, I, of course, could not hold back and told him of a secluded spot which also offered that, but a bit more. I'm so glad he took my advice.
